Verdant Tea

I am finishing off the last of this today. I raised the rating a bit from where I had it before. It needs to steep for at least 4 minutes. I am getting more of the cinnamon flavor now. I m still fairly new to drinking Yunnan teas like this. I suspect it might grow on me a bit more over time.

I am having this as my morning brew today – it is a bit lighter than the black teas I am used to drinking. It seems medium bodied- sort of like a Ceylon but with different flavors. It seems very full with rich honey or buttery tones. I am picking up a bit on the spiciness as an aftertaste. Sadly I will not have time to infuse this more than once this morning, my verdict is an elegant and mild tea which seems suitable for anytime drinking. I hope to add more notes to this as time permits.

For me this is a sipdown. Thanks to Verdant and Steepster for introducing me to Wuyi teas. I did 3 steeps of this in the xi ying. The xi ying is great for wuyis teas and I am considering getting two more for shus and shengs.

This is a lot maltier than I remember it, especially at the first steep. Reminiscent of beer! I would certainly consider getting more of this but I have another red robe in my stash that I need to drink first, me thinks.

A nice afternoon tea for us. Do not chastise me Verdant disciples but I lowered the rating. I’ve had a few wuyis since then. I still like this one though. I love you but I am not in love with you… lol

As you can see I got my package from Verdant so you can expect some more reviews from me in the next few days as I am babbling away due to caffeine overload. :)

I fear this tea may have spoiled me for life. It is lovely, lovely, LOVELY! I do not have a gaiwan and have been admonished many times for this whenever I go tea tasting. I did brew the leaves in a mug for about 60 seconds and then transferred to another mug. I believe it is practically the same experience but I could be wrong.

In any case, this is an exceptionally fine oolong tea (at least to my novice palate), amber color, smells of cherrywood and has caramel and stone fruit smooth richness which is practically melting in my mouth. Vaguely reminds me of bourbon but I think this is actually an insult to the tea. :) It is hard to find words to describe this!

It’s a sipdown! I cold brewed this yesterday so I could have it with my lunch. I think I like it even better this way than hot. I’m a bit sad to see it go but I have more green tea in my stash I need to drink before it all goes stale.

My allergies are going haywire this morning – yesterday it was raining and today it’s sunny. I just checked Weather.com and the pollen count is high today and will be for the rest of the week. MEH!

Anyway when my allergies are bothering me that’s a good time to focus on green tea. I decided to revisit this one this morning and I need to finish it off anyway because I’ve had it for a while. A delicate tea with the flavor of peas this morning. See previous notes for more info.

achoo! =)

I discovered I still have a bit of this left, it is such a yummy green tea. It does remind me a little of a dragonwell. It has such a nice, delicate and clean sweetness for a green tea. I was happy to find it!

I am revisiting this today with my new batch from Verdant. It is like visiting with an old friend. A sweet and delicious friend… lol!

Very unlike any other green tea I have tried. A delicate, soft blend which reminds me of meadows, clover and hay. Very soft finish and sweet aroma. I will need to be trying some of this cold brewed as well. Very happy with this purchase!

This tea is absolutely fascinating. It’s the first aged Oolong I’ve ever tried, and I’m really enjoying its complexity. I should wait a few more infusions before logging it as it’s changing with each cup. But, I’m taking a break from paper-writing.

I get an evergreen sap scent from the liquor and especially the dry leaf, as mentioned in the tea’s description. Also that deep, dark roastiness. It smelled quite intimidating, but I’m learning to be less afraid of the scent of roasted Oolongs. It’s woody and dark but there’s no bitterness and it actually ends with a hint of sweetness in the back of my mouth. This tastes like a wood fire to me, but like the FIRE part, not the smoke. It tastes like the point at which a fire has burnt out at the cottage but we’re still sitting around the charred logs, pine needles and soil under foot. It’s earthy and yet silken. Excellent!

The tea is packaged as shown in the photo. Very cute little packets that are shaped into the form of a small nest. The dry tea smells like straw. It isn’t, however, offensive and barn-like as some other pu erhs tend to be.

I rinsed for a few seconds prior to steeping and was surprised by the amount of small pieces of tea that were washed away. After a relatively short steep, this tea does indeed smell like buttered popcorn. The taste is somewhat different. It’s somewhat earthy, yet with a little kick to it. I don’t think I would consider it a spearmint flavor as the description mentions, but there’s something wildly unmatched to the scent coming out. It’s as if the tea peaks mid sip then lingers a bit on the tongue.

I resteeped this twice. The second steep was too strong. I let it stay in the water for 45 seconds and the liquor was dark brown and a bit straw like in flavor. I didn’t care too much for it. The third steep produced a much more muted flavor. With the overwhelming scent diminished, the flavor is easier to detect. It is earthy, but not in a musty, dirty way as with other pu erhs. Instead, it was pretty good, all things considered.

Everything you could ask for of a black tea. See my previous notes and all of the others who have loved this wonderful selection. I still have a touch left of last years spring picking. I would love to do a side by side tasting. This is an awesome tea.

I brewed this up basket style with more leaf than I have ever used for this tea. Even though it steeped for who knows how long it was simply fantastick. When you smell this brewing it really has to be one of the best tea scents that I have ever encountered in my journey with this beverage. The flavor matches the aroma perfectly. I am getting a scent and flavor that I would say is similar to a fine bakery. Fresh baked brown bread with a hint of cocoa. An awesome tea….

This is my morning-noon tea. Firstly it is the spring version. In my humble opinion it is one of the best black teas I have had the pleasure to sip. I still have a decent amount left thankfully. The aroma is heavenly and the flavor is so sweet and complex. Truly a treat for any lover of fine black tea….

I had to have this today. A top-flight black to stimulate the senses. First and foremost is the aroma. I have said before that I taste more with my nose than with my mouth. The aroma sets the pace for a truly unique and delicious tea experience. The cocoa and buckwheat honey notes take my tastebuds on a journey through tea heaven. I brewed this strong as a black tea should. I am reaping the benefits….

I wish someone would post a new listing for the Autumn Laoshan Black. I commented on this yesterday while my keen sense of taste was dulled. Today I brewed this up in the Yixing with generous leaf. I knew when the boiling water hit the leaves I was feeling better. The aroma that we loved is back. I am getting a sweetness again with flavors of a lighter cocoa and the buckwheat honey. The second infusion was steeped for maybe 8 to 10 minutes. It’s alive. I am seeing dimensions with this that I did not see with the Spring picking. I am getting that copper sensation that I got with the Big Red Robe. My body is warm and glowing from this second cup. Am I feeling 100 percent? No. Did this tea make me feel better? YES.

This is the Fall Picking. I noticed upon opening the tea that the dry leaf was not as aromatic. I was generous with the amount used and the steep time was maybe 5 minutes. I feel it is still a good tea. I have to taste compare the 2 side by side. Maybe my nose and tastebuds are off today. The liquor is lighter and the flavor is not as strong as the spring picking. I am steeping brew 2 now. Frankly, I was expecting to be blown away. Like I said, maybe it’s me. This was basket brewed in a cup. I am now trying the Gaiwan….

I just got my first Gaiwan and I had to try it. Something tells me I’m going to be in for a treat. I was generous with the leaf. This tea is truly unique. The aroma of the dry leaf. The flavor. So different than any black I have ever had. And the Gaiwan, I love it….

I just ordered more last night along with the Big Red Robe.. A truly fantastick tea. If this was an experiment with the growers I cannot wait to taste the fall offering. The empty cup smells of evergreens….

When I opened the pack I knew I was in for a treat. Anyone with an Irish-English heritage loves a good black tea. This is a great one. When I poured the boiling water on I immediately smelled cocoa, caramel and honey. I recieved this as a sampler with my Pu-Ehrs. It will be ordered! I want to do side by side tasting with the Harney Hao-Ya A and the Zhi Gung Fu black….

I brewed this in the Gaiwan. It is all that I would look for in a Sheng and more. I received this as a part of a sampler. For whatever reason I had only tasted this once before. This tea is about as good as it gets. I have tasted many Sheng lately and none compare with the exception of the ’93 Red Blossom. I would dare say that given the same amount of aging this would be mind blowing. This is the real deal….

I just got my Sheng sampler in the mail! My first tasting is the 2006 Artisan Revival. I brewed it western style in a basket. The directions stated 1 tsp for 2.5 minutes. I had to let it go longer because I just felt it was not ready. It’s very smooth and comforting. I am getting orange and clove aromas. It is definitely not like other Pu-Erhs that I have had that somewhat musty. This is my first tasting of a truly fine Pu-Erh. When I brew it again it will be in the Yixing with more leaves. Even though I feel I should have used more leaf, I can still see it’s a fantastick tea. It’s very comforting to the mind and body….

This morning I treated myself to a small pot of the Autumn 2011 Laoshan Northern Black, and it truly is such a beautiful tea. It is even smoother than the first batch I tried, with a bit less of the cocoa aroma, and more of a fruitiness that resembles a really good Darjeeling, or possibly dried dates. I love that I can always count on Verdant Tea to give me an adventure in my tea pot… Many thanks!